Tough Commerce have introduced that they’re opening a brand new department in New York Metropolis’s Rockefeller Heart, to be named Tough Commerce Beneath.
Will probably be the second Tough Commerce web site on the midtown Manhattan location and will probably be primarily based on the ice rink degree, straight reverse the Forty seventh-Fiftieth St-Rockefeller Heart subway station.
Set to open within the spring, the shop will embody new and used vinyl data, new and used CDs, artist merchandise, audio {hardware}, Blu-rays and extra and also will play host to common in-store performances and appearances.
Tough Commerce co-owner Stephen Godfroy has stated: “We’re extraordinarily excited to be opening Tough Commerce Beneath this spring, serving to us additional cater to the large demand from music lovers throughout the 5 boroughs and past.”
We’re increasing right here within the coronary heart of NYC, opening a second retailer at Rockefeller Heart… situated under our present retailer!
Our current retailer stays, whereas our new retailer will add and develop the vinyl supply, merch and far far more.
In-store stay performances + talks will now… pic.twitter.com/VmMbHwWf38
— Tough Commerce US (@RoughTradeUS) January 23, 2025
“It’s clear that the ethos of Tough Commerce – to slender the hole between artist and viewers – has struck an incredible chord right here in New York. Creating a good bigger mecca for the music lover is an thrilling prospect, particularly for our intimate stay occasions, the place the world’s most enjoyable artists carry out in-store for the admission of buying their new album. Creating a spotlight of counterculture in midtown Manhattan has fortunately proved to be a wildly profitable transfer, and we stay up for creating a good stronger artistic group because the 12 months progresses.”
Tough Commerce’s different New York web site opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2013, turning into New York Metropolis’s largest file retailer, earlier than relocating to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 2021.
The chain of music retail outlets was based by Geoff Travis in Ladbroke Grove, West London in 1976. It went on to spawn the file label of the identical title in 1978, though the 2 entities separated 4 years later.
Tough Commerce at present has a number of shops in London, together with one within the former Tin Pan Alley that opened in October, in addition to bases in Nottingham and Liverpool.
Final 12 months, Tough Commerce managing director Lawrence Montgomery stated they had been seeking to open extra shops, significantly in London. “We at all times control alternatives within the UK however we’re respectful to the nice indie shops across the nation, so we’re very particular when alternatives,” he stated. He additionally added that the chain had been “assessing a pair alternatives in London, the place we’ve got a robust group and operational set-up.”
It follows the massive resurgence within the vinyl business lately, with the variety of impartial vinyl shops hitting a 10-year excessive final 12 months and vinyl outselling CDs for the primary time in 35 years in 2023.